The Abusive Novel System Pleads with Me to Resign-Chapter 91

As soon as Zhu Qingya spoke, Zhong Chen and Xiao Yun's voices abruptly cut off.

Xiao Yun slowly raised his head to look at Zhu Qingya, his usually gentle demeanor now clearly laced with anger: "Are you really that eager to push me toward another girl?"

"I’m telling you now—I’ve never had any romantic feelings for Shen Ying, and I don’t appreciate anyone joking about it."

Zhu Qingya was taken aback. She hadn’t expected Xiao Yun to reject the idea so firmly and outright. He rarely took such an absolute stance.

Her expression grew complicated, and just as she was about to apologize, Zhong Chen cut in: "Fine, you said it yourself. I’ll take your word for it."

"But to avoid misunderstandings in the future, you’re not allowed to talk to her alone."

Xiao Yun nearly laughed at the absurdity. Who did this idiot think he was meddling for?

His temper flared, and he sneered, "In your dreams."

Zhong Chen instantly flew into a rage, feeling like he’d been played: "So everything you just said was bullshit? If you don’t like her, why are you messing around with her in private?"

"Are you that desperate for friends? For female friends? Then why do you ignore every other girl in school who talks to you?"

"How dare you claim she isn’t special to you? How dare you say that in front of Qingya?"

Xiao Yun shot back, "Because I happen to know an idiot whose brain stopped developing after age three."

"I was too young to shake him off back then, and now I’m stuck babysitting him for life."

Zhong Chen was furious: "Who asked you to babysit me? I only kept you around back then because I felt sorry for you."

"Turns out you’ve just turned into a self-righteous jerk."

"So you’re using me as an excuse to get close to her? Or are you just playing the good guy at my expense? I can’t think of any other reason you two would get so close so fast."

Xiao Yun: "So that’s why you lost it that day?"

"I even wondered if you had some deeper reason for stepping in. Guess I overestimated you."

"You never disappoint when it comes to immaturity."

Zhong Chen scoffed: "Oh, you’re so mature? If you’re so mature, why does Qingya still treat you like a kid?"

That struck a nerve. Years of pent-up resentment finally erupted.

Xiao Yun swung without warning, landing a punch. Zhong Chen, caught off guard, retaliated immediately.

The crowd gasped—no one expected these two lifelong friends to come to blows.

Even Zhu Qingya and the others were shocked that Xiao Yun had thrown the first hit.

By the time anyone reacted, the two had already exchanged several blows.

But once the fight had escalated, pulling them apart was nearly impossible. Even Xing Jiale and Gong Zhaoxi got caught in the crossfire, ending up with scratches.

Zhu Qingya was frantic. She turned to Shen Ying: "You stop Zhong Chen. I’ll handle Xiao Yun."

Shen Ying, who had been enjoying the spectacle of two pretty boys brawling, sighed in disappointment.

Still, she stepped forward, carefully avoiding stray swings, and positioned herself behind Gong Zhaoxi.

Then, with a swift kick, she sent him tumbling into the pool.

He instinctively grabbed the nearest thing—Xiao Yun’s shirt. Xiao Yun, still tangled with Zhong Chen, dragged him in too, while Xing Jiale clung desperately to Zhong Chen.

A massive splash erupted. Shen Ying sidestepped gracefully, avoiding the spray.

By the time everyone processed what had happened, all four boys were sitting dazed in the pool.

Xing Jiale glared at Shen Ying, the closest culprit: "I knew it was you."

Shen Ying offered him a hand: "Desperate times. You really think your talking would’ve worked?"

As Xing Jiale grumbled and reached for her hand, Zhong Chen shoved him aside and pulled himself out with Shen Ying’s help.

The other three climbed out after him, all dripping wet and looking like drowned—yet oddly appealing—rats.

Zhu Qingya hurriedly called for towels, scolding, "All of you, come with me."

Now sobered up and ashamed for ruining her party, the four trailed after her like a line of soggy quails.

Shen Ying, about to return to her seat and snack, was yanked along by Zhu Qingya: "You’re helping too."

The Zhu household was small—aside from Zhu Qingya, the only spare men’s clothes belonged to her father, none of which fit the boys in size or style.

So, after changing out of their soaked clothes, the four sat in bathrobes in Zhu Qingya’s living room, glaring at each other.

Shen Ying, however, perked up.

A bathrobe party? Even high-end clubs rarely offered this kind of view.

The same robes looked entirely different on each of them.

Zhong Chen was the most careless, his belt loosely tied, exposing a broad chest, sleeves rolled up to his biceps.

The idiot might’ve been lacking in brains, but his body had clearly thrived—his build rivaled an adult’s, yet there was an untarnished, almost innocent youthfulness to him.

Xiao Yun, in contrast, wore his robe like a formal suit—neat, precise, every fold in place, the belt tied with military precision.

Xing Jiale struck a middle ground—neither wild nor rigid, just… normal.

Then there was Gong Zhaoxi. At first glance, his robe seemed ordinary, but his subtle movements—adjusting the collar to flash a collarbone, crossing his legs just so—were pure calculated charm.

Shen Ying couldn’t tell if it was intentional, but she was witnessing the rise of a future top-tier male model.

She was mentally treating this as a club substitute, but the others weren’t about to let things slide.

Zhu Qingya’s voice turned stern: "What was that? A few words, and you start brawling in public?"

Xing Jiale and Gong Zhaoxi raised their hands: "Not our fault! We were trying to break it up."

Zhong Chen: "Wasn’t me. It was him."

"First he likes you, then he’s all over her. Got called out and couldn’t take it."

Xiao Yun: "Want another round? I told you—I don’t like her."

Zhong Chen: "Then stop talking to her in private."

Xiao Yun: "In your dreams."

Zhong Chen: "See, Qingya? This bastard’s turned into a complete scumbag."

Xiao Yun stood, fists clenching. Shen Ying leaned forward, riveted—their current outfits wouldn’t survive another fight.

Zhu Qingya stepped between them: "Enough!"

She turned to Zhong Chen: "No matter how you feel about Shen Ying, you have no right to make demands like that. It’s unreasonable."

Then to Xiao Yun: "You shouldn’t have hit him. If you don’t like her and have other intentions, talk to him properly instead of provoking him with vague answers."

Xiao Yun scowled: "Be fair. Who provoked who?"

Zhu Qingya: "What he said wasn’t worth a public fight."

Xiao Yun: "He said you’ve never seen me as a mature person."

Zhu Qingya faltered, and the room fell into awkward silence.

Then Shen Ying’s voice cut in: "Well… he’s not wrong."

Xiao Yun’s head snapped up.

The look directed at Shen Ying carried genuine anger.

Yet Shen Ying showed no sign of restraint, clearly impatient with the same trivial matter being rehashed over and over.

She cut straight to the point: "Senior is about to announce a major decision. Haven’t you noticed, being closest to her all night?"

"You’ve ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‍never considered her perspective at this age, realizing she’s standing at a crossroads in life, or sensed how hard she’s mustering the courage to face the world’s inevitable opposition."

"You didn’t even notice how forced her smile was when everyone automatically congratulated her and assumed she’d return."

Shen Ying shrugged, eyeing Xiao Yun. "You really aren’t qualified to be treated as a grown man."

Xiao Yun’s expression shifted gradually into stunned disbelief. He whipped his head toward Zhu Qingya, and seeing her startled yet unrefuting reaction to Shen Ying’s words, panic surged in his chest.

Zhu Qingya stared at Shen Ying, dazed. "H-how did you know?"

Shen Ying smiled. "When you opened your clutch earlier, I caught a glimpse of scissors inside."

"Plus, whenever acquaintances asked about your future plans for the family business, you kept deflecting. I figured you were planning something big tonight."

She then shot a disdainful glance at Xiao Yun and Zhong Chen. "Too bad some people stole the spotlight."

Zhong Chen guiltily averted his gaze, while Xiao Yun remained frozen, still processing. He looked at Zhu Qingya blankly. "What is she talking about?"

"What decision are you making?"

Zhu Qingya stood and ushered Xiao Yun and the other three out. "I’ll announce it to everyone later."

"Leave us for now. I want to talk to A-Ying alone."

The door shut in the four’s faces, leaving them bewildered. By all accounts, they were Zhu Qingya’s childhood friends—how did Shen Ying take precedence?

Inside the room, Zhu Qingya clutched Shen Ying’s hands excitedly.

"Finally, someone understands me! I’m so nervous. Just thinking about announcing I’m giving up the family inheritance—the backlash, my parents’ disappointment, my friends’ confusion, and A-Yun’s heartbreak—it’s overwhelming."

Shen Ying, relishing the softness of the beauty’s hands, replied without hesitation, "Better a sharp pain than a dull one. Choose what makes you happy."

Zhu Qingya sighed. "They won’t get why I want to be a lawyer. To them, inheriting the family’s annual charity donations helps more people."

Shen Ying mused that the Zhu conglomerate was structurally sound, well-managed, and hardly in crisis—why not hire a professional CEO, sit back, and watch the dividends grow?

Aloud, she said, "Self-fulfillment is subjective. Only you can define your worth."

Zhu Qingya brightened, comforted by the solidarity. Then her expression dimmed again. "The others don’t matter as much, but I’m most worried about A-Yun."

"That kid’s emotionally fragile and closed off. Who knows how he’ll take my unilateral decision?"

Shen Ying waved it off. "He’ll have to learn to stand on his own eventually."

Zhu Qingya studied her, growing fonder by the second. "Now I see why A-Yun finds you special."

"You embody what he admires most."

Strength—unshackled, intrinsic, unborrowed.

Zhu Qingya rose. "Let’s go downstairs. I can’t wait to make my announcement."

Shen Ying quickly interjected, "Once you do, Zhu Group’s stock will definitely drop tomorrow."

"You don’t strike me as impulsive, Senior. I assume you’ve prepared for this?"

Though puzzled, Zhu Qingya nodded. "Yes. A major partnership announcement next week will offset the dip. The shares will recover—even rise—soon after."

Shen Ying slapped her thigh. Perfect! She’d buy the dip tomorrow.